Punch Games

Former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe bares it all in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA at the SOS Village at Ennerdale, Johannesburg

How has life been in retirement?

I have been a footballer all my life and it’s a big part of me. If you played football for a long time, you get to a point that you don’t want to retire from it, especially at those times when your body is calling for rest – it is usually a very difficult period. But life goes on. For me I believe it’s an opportunity to turn another page by helping people who supported us all along in our careers – that’s by nurturing young talents.

What are you doing at the moment?

Knowing where I come from and having always had the passion to give back to the society, I am currently involved with the South African Football Association. I am in the technical committee there. Also, I am a part of a group that is organising school tournaments because we know that to sustain and grow talents, we need to start from the basics. Knowing that people who are in the grassroots look up to us, I have to be involved in how the talents are discovered and groomed into world-class players. It is our duty to go to them and help them build their football careers. At the moment I am very busy with a lot of things which is helping me to give back to the society.

Recently in June, Bafana Bafana defeated the Super Eagles in Nigeria for the first time in a competitive tie. What does the victory signify for South African football?

I think for us, it ticked the box that we had been trying to tick a long time ago. South Africa have a bitter rivalry with Nigeria and we know that each time the two sides meet, Nigeria always parade a quality team. It was always South Africa who struggled in the ties. The time we had the best team in the history of South African football – in 1996 when we won the African Cup of Nations – Nigeria were not there. We knew if Nigeria were there that year, it would have been one of the games that would still be in the history books today. But having Bafana beat the Eagles for the first time in a competitive match and on Nigerian soil is a big joy to South Africans – whether a former footballer or those who even haven’t played the game before – and it will always be remembered in the annals of South African football. People were celebrating in the country after that match – which shows how much it meant to them. We, former South African footballers, will always be proud of the boys; at least South Africa has beaten Nigeria once – even if it was not in our generation. It was a great plus to the youngsters who played that game and it opened a new chapter in the Nigeria/ South Africa rivalry.

What do you think your generation of players didn’t have to destabilise the Eagles each time you met them?

We were were just starting while the Nigerians were firmly established, so we couldn’t crack them. Nigeria had won more AFCON titles than we have and they had been to the World Cup while we hadn’t – they had more experience than we had. Honestly, back then we were always looking forward to playing against Nigeria to see if we could crack the team and beat them. A match against Nigeria was always a yardstick for us back then to gauge how well we were doing or not – we had the mindset that if we were able to beat Nigeria, who are African football giants, then we had actually arrived. As individuals also, it was a yardstick for us – playing against (Austin) Okocha, (Rashidi) Yekini, (Daniel) Amokachi and the rest was a dream for us. Nigeria had the talent, experience and the big names on the continent and we just couldn’t find the missing link to beat them. The Nigerian team, which our generation played against, were really a special and talented one. I believe that each country has a time when such things happen in their football. Nigeria had that team that could go the extra mile and represent Africa well on the world stage and we (South Africa) were not too far behind them, but we couldn’t match them.

In 1998, you led South Africa to the World Cup for the first time…

(Cuts in) For us, the qualification itself was such a big achievement. We were happy to qualify for the World Cup and even without kicking the ball yet, we were already fulfilled. To represent and be a part of that generation was very special because every player wants to compete on the biggest stage – and for football, that is the World Cup. For us as a country, it was a monumental achievement and for me as an individual, leading that team to France ’98 was a dream come true. It wasn’t only about representing the team, it was about representing the South African nation – it symbolised where we came from as a country and it was very amazing.

In 2000, your club Leeds United got to the semi-final of the Champions League, before losing to Valencia. How would you describe the experience?

It was a lovely experience I had at Leeds – we really had a great team then. Leading Leeds United to the biggest stage in European football – the Champions League – was a great achievement and experience for me. It was also a great representation of Africa. I and Phil Masinga were the first South Africans to play in the English Premier League – there were other Africans doing well in England, Spain and all over Europe. I saw it as an opportunity to represent the continent very well alongside other African players in the league – like Tony Yeboah of Ghana and Austin Okocha. Our performance then showed what Africans could do in football. Back then, I think the English didn’t have enough confidence in African players but we went there and showed them the talent that we had. I think the impression we made then paved the way for the current crop of African players doing well in the league now like Kelechi Iheanacho, Riyad Mahrez, among others.

For country and club, you were a defender known to score great goals from headers. Which was your best goal?

One of the best goals I remember scoring was in 1999 when we played a Champions League game against Spartak Moscow at home. We lost the first leg 2-1 away. Playing at home, we needed a goal to go through to the next round. It wasn’t coming on time. Towards the last five minutes of the match, we got a corner kick and I remembered that I rose highest and scored a header from the kick. It was an absolute experience I had that day. I have never felt that way before. The stadium erupted. It was unbelievable as an African playing at such a big stage to score the all-important goal for Leeds in that game. It is one of the moments I will never forget in my life. I also won’t forget a match against Manchester United, where I was in goal. It showed the versatility of Africans because I believe that if one gets such opportunities, one should take it with both hands. Whichever position you are given as a player, just do your best to stand out.

Do you see an African country getting to the semi-final of the World Cup soon?

It is tough to say how soon an African country can get to the semi-final of the World Cup. When South Africa hosted it on behalf of Africa, it was the chance we had to have at least make a statement as a continent but we couldn’t, we were just close. I think we are just one step back in terms of management and organisation of the teams. We always have problems in terms of financing the teams and other issues, which derailed us a bit. In order for us to get better and compete against the best, we need ex-players to get involved. We need them to take control and share their experience, love and passion for the game, which is very important.

Who would you say was your toughest opponent during your playing period?

My toughest opponents were Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer. It is very difficult to single out players because you play against the best players in the world every week – Henry, Michael Owen and others. That was the level of competition we had then. Henry was problematic with his speed and it was amazing playing against him. I also played against Okocha, very skillful with the ball – it was something they couldn’t get used to in England. Those two (Henry and Shearer) however, stand out.

What were your best and worst moments as a footballer?

My worst moment should be when Leeds United got relegated from the Premier League. Such a great club getting demoted meant they lost all the great players they had. The relegation gave other clubs in the Premier League the advantage to sign one or two of those great players for themselves. My best moment would be in 1996 when I captained South Africa to win the AFCON. It stands out and playing against the best meant a lot for us.

How did the country celebrate the win in 1996?

It was an amazing celebration. It was a dream come true; an unbelievable experience. We could hardly believe it and it lifted us on the continent. That was when Europe began to see us as a challenge.

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The South Africa Football Association has said it will accept the decision that the World Cup qualifier against Senegal should be replayed after referee Joseph Lamptey’s lifetime ban was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Skysports reports.

Lamptey has been expelled by FIFA over match-fixing allegations, and the world governing body announced the match must be replayed after the decision from CAS last week.

The encounter last November saw referee Lamptey award 2-1 winners South Africa a penalty in a move FIFA ruled amounted to “match manipulation”, later resulting in the lifetime ban for the Ghanaian.

SAFA did not immediately accept FIFA’s decision for it to be replayed but have now changed course.

A statement on Tuesday said, “Following additional information SAFA received from world governing body FIFA, the Association resolved on moral and ethical grounds that we cannot be beneficiaries of corrupt activities.

“Therefore, we have decided that we will comply with the FIFA directive to replay the match against Senegal at a date to be decided.”

However, SAFA reserved the right to alter its decision if there were further developments in the case.

“We have however, noted that the official at the centre of all this controversy has appealed his case to the courts of law and if the courts overturn the decision, everything becomes null and void and SAFA will reserve its right to challenge the decision of FIFA to replay the match,” the statement added.

“During SAFA Emergency Committee meeting on Monday, there were two positions on the matter – whether to go the legal route since there are lots of unanswered questions from FIFA or the ethical and moral route.

“SAFA’s zero tolerance on corrupt activities within football are well documented and it is in this light that we decided to comply with the FIFA directive.”

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Punch Games

The Super Eagles begin their campaign for a return to Africa’s football showpiece in a 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Bafana Bafana at the Akwa Ibom Stadium, Uyo, on Saturday.

Three-time African champions Nigeria are seeking a return to AFCON after their absence at the last two editions of the competition. After their continental triumph in South Africa in 2013, the Eagles missed out on the 2015 and 2017 editions in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon respectively.

The Eagles, winners of the AFCON in 1980, 1994 and 2013, have appeared at the competition 17 times and will hope to secure their 18th appearance in Cameroon at the expense of their other opponents in Group E. The other teams in the group are Seychelles and Libya.

Bafana are also seeking a return to the AFCON after missing out on the competition in 2017. After hosting in 2013, the South Africans failed to advance from their group at Equatorial Guinea 2015. The 1996 champions are now seeking their ninth appearance at the continental event in Cameroon 2019.

Nigeria and South Africa have met nine times in competitive games, the latest of which was a 2-2 draw in a 2015 AFCON qualifier in Uyo on November 19, 2014, which ended the Eagles’ hope of qualification. The South Africans finished atop the group while the Eagles were third behind Congo.

The Eagles have won six of the nine meetings and have lost none. Three of the previous meetings have ended in a draw. But the South Africans boast of one win against the Nigerians, 2-1 triumph in a friendly tie in 2004.

With the recent return of Englishman Stuart Baxter as Bafana coach, the South Africans will prove much of a threat to the ambitions of the Eagles. The match is Baxter’s first assignment since taking charge of the team in May. South Africa have won only two of their last five matches – they have played four friendly matches and one World Cup qualifier since October 2016. They played a goalless draw with Angola in a friendly on March 28.

But since German coach, Gernot Rohr, took over as Eagles coach in 2016, Nigeria have yet to lose a match. The Eagles have recorded victories in their World Cup qualifying matches as well as two draws and a win in their friendly matches. The Eagles’ last match was a 3-0 win over Togo in Paris on June 1.

Going into the match, Rohr called up 23 players, who were drawn from an initial list for the friendlies against Corsica and Togo. Although the former Niger coach left out China-based trio captain Mikel Obi, Brown Ideye and Odion Ighalo, he called up relatively unknown Zamalek defender, Maroof Youssef.

Rohr is also faced with the dilemma of his first choice goalkeeper after the injury of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Carl Ikeme but South Africa-based Daniel Akpeyi could start against the visitors. Also out is exciting Chelsea wing-back Victor Moses, who had an excellent season helping the Blues win the EPL but was left out of Rohr’s squad due to an injury.

Nigeria will be banking on the current form of Manchester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, who has been prolific for the national team. The 2013 U-17 World Cup winner has scored in seven of the Eagles’ last eight matches including the third goal in the 3-0 win over Togo in Paris.

Baxter will depend on now-fit Genclerbirligi striker, Tokelo Rantie, who scored Bafana’s brace in the 2-2 draw in Uyo in the last meeting between the two sides in 2014. Experienced Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune in the Premier Soccer League is also expected to be in goal on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Baxter hopes to frustrate the Eagles in Uyo.

“We are ready after we had a few injury scares. We would have wanted a longer preparation but it’s not a perfect world, so we just have to get on with it. I know quite a bit about the Eagles. We respect them because of their history and they are putting together a new team who have been quite successful but we can cause an upset and we will do all we can to get a positive result,” Baxter was quoted as saying by Scorenigeria.com.ng.

But Onazi said he is optimistic the Eagles would rise to the occasion.

He said, “It is a big game, and we are one for the big occasion. I have confidence in the team that we have now and the ambition oozing in the camp. We want to go to the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations. Starting well on Saturday will be important to our aspiration.”

However, former Nigeria coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, called for caution from the Eagles.

He said, “The South Africans are also going for the same target as Nigeria and the coach knows that. He knows the right tactics to employ to get the desired results. He has been doing well and Saturday shouldn’t be different. They only need to be careful and play well to get the win.”

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South Africa coach, Stuart Baxter, has said his team are not intimidated by Nigeria stars.

Baxter said this after the arrival of Bafana Bafana in Uyo on Thursday.

The Briton said, “We don’t have big stars but we have a team. Every Africa nation faces the same problem but then the coaches try to balance the stars and the others.

“We are not going to be defensive or careful because Nigeria has good players. We should be intimidated by everybody. David beat Goliath but this is not a case of David and Goliath because there is no David and Goliath in this game.

“Nigeria is the favourite for this game but for South Africa to be intimidated, no. Though the Eagles had more time to train, that is the way it is.”

He added, “We are confident in the way we are approaching the game at the moment but the players know what to do together for the job to be done. The players are hopeful ahead of the game but not intimidated.”

Meanwhile, the South African delegation arrived at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotels with their water and foodstuffs.

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Punch Games

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr says he is not under pressure to field players for the AFCON qualifiers match against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Saturday.

Speaking on Thursday while fielding questions from sports journalists during a pre-match briefing on the Super Eagles’ preparedness for the tournament, Rohr said nobody tells him how to work, adding that he works independently.

“Nobody is telling me how to work, I work independently with my assistants. There is no pressure on me to field any players.

“We have good players from Nigeria in this team, I have some fine players. We have good players who can play well for this country,” he said.

He added that as a professional he monitored the progress of players in their respective clubs and watched video clips of players’ performances.

According to him, nobody gave him directives on how to coach, noting that he was satisfied with the selection made so far with the assistant of his technical team.

He said, “No pressure on me, the team is open to all good players from Nigeria.”

He explained that his squad for Saturday’s match was a blend of young talented players with the experienced ones.

Rohr stated that the team was on top form, feeling very good just as the people of Uyo appreciate the Super Eagles playing in the town.

Speaking also was the Eagles captain, Ogenyi Onazi, who stated that the team’s objective in Uyo was to win the game and go for AFCON and the World Cup.

“We want to do our own and make sure we win the match on Saturday.

“Definitely we need the prayers of all Nigerians. We just want to let them know that it is not going to be easy.

“We need your support, you should come out and support us to make sure we get the three points on Saturday,” Onazi said.

Akwa United FC player, Alhassan Ibrahim, who is one of the home-based players in the team, said he was excited about his call-up to the national team.

He said that it was an honour for him to be selected to play for Nigeria at the national level out of the three players invited by the coach.

He praised the cooperation he enjoyed from the experienced since the joined Eagles training camp in Corsica and Paris.

The Bafana Bafana of South Africa arrived in Uyo on Thursday at 2:07 pm for the match against the Super Eagles on Saturday.

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Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr on Wednesday named 23 players for camping in Abuja ahead of the Super Eagles’ 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa in Uyo on June 10.

First-teamers Ogenyi Onazi and Kenneth Omeruo, who were omitted from the squad, who battled to a 1-1 draw against minnows Corsica in Ajaccio on Friday and scheduled to face Togo in Paris on Thursday ahead of the Uyo fixture, made the list alongside South Africa-based goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.

Premier League winner Victor Moses and the domestic league’s top scorer with 14 goals Stephen Odey were surprisingly omitted from the squad. Rohr also snubbed German-born attacker Noah Sarenren-Bazee (Hannover 96) and British-born defender Ola Aina (Chelsea), as well as Watford striker Isaac Success, Odey’s MFM teammate Sikiru Olatubosun, who were all invited for the friendly games against Corsica and Togo.

German-born Mainz 05 defender Leon Balogun was also omitted from the squad.

Rohr failed to keep his promise to invite team captain Mikel Obi, Odion Ighalo and Brown Ideye, who are plying their trade in the cash-rich Chinese Super League.

But Akwa United scoring midfielder Alhassan Ibrahim got the nod from the German coach to report to training camp alongside reported Arsenal-bound Henry Onyekuru, who has scored 24 goals this season and provided 14 assists for his Belgian club Eupen, Wolfsburg striker Victor Osimhen, versatile Zamalek midfielder Maroof Youssef, Dutch-born Tyronne Ebuehi and Austria Bundesliga Player of the Year Olanrewaju Kayode.

Olanrewaju, 24, who joined Austria Wien from Israeli outfit Maccabi Netanya in 2015, ended as the league’s top scorer with 17 goals.

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Punch Games

South Africa are planning to adopt a defensive formation to frustrate Nigeria and hit them on the counterattack in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo on June 10, it has been revealed.

1996 African champions Bafana Bafana have never won in their 11 competitive games against the Super Eagles since 1992.

South Africa coach Stuart Baxer is desperate to end Bafana’s 25-year-old winless run against the Eagles and he is racking his brain trying to settle for the best approach for the Uyo clash.

The Englishman revealed on Monday that he had hired the services of a Manchester United scout to monitor the Eagles, who are currently camped in Paris ahead of the qualifier. As part of their preparations for the Bafana meeting, the Eagles face Togo in a friendly affair in Paris on Thursday.

“In terms of his football: I saw Tokelo playing against Nigeria (in 2014) and he scared them to death. I think Nigeria will not want to see him on the teamsheet,” Baxer, 63, was quoted by Kickoff.com as saying on Tuesday.

Bafana defence ace Thulani Hlatshwayo insists the Eagles are not unbeatable, saying they would aim to claim all points in Uyo.

“It’s important that we take care of ourselves, we know the history with Nigeria,” the Wits star said.

“We have struggled against them but we eliminated them from the 2015 AFCON with a 2-2 draw. We need to go there and fight.”

He added, “We also need to have those things, even though we know our strength is hanging on to the ball. We have to outsmart them.”

Meanwhile, Wolfsburg forward Victor Osimhen was expected to arrive in the Eagles camp on Tuesday night, after the arrival of Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa, Kayode Olarenwaju, Henry Onyekuru and Wilfred Ndidi at the camp in Paris.

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Punch Games

The former Super Eagles manager, who has been out of work since he guided the national Under-23 team to a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, was last week listed among the 52 coaches who applied for the vacant Rwanda job.

Our correspondent learnt that Siasia has also applied for the South Africa manager’s job, which became vacant following the sacking of Ephraim Mashaba in December last year.

Siasia had earlier confirmed applying for the vacant manager’s position at South African powerhouse Orlando Pirates.

Sources on Sunday said the Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations winner is also scouring other parts of the continent for a job. A number of national coaches’ jobs are under threat following their teams’ poor performances at the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Callisto Pasuwa was fired following Zimbabwe’s group stage exit at the tournament, while Belgian Georges Leekens called it quits with Algeria following the star-studded Desert Foxes’ elimination from the championship. And Israeli manager Avram Grant ended his reign as Ghana coach after the Black Stars came fourth in Gabon.

Reports on Sunday said Siasia was one of the 32 coaches who had submitted their CVs to the South African Football Association to be considered for the vacant Bafana job.

Also said to have applied for the role are former Inter Milan and Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini, who is currently out of job, former Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni and Hassan Shehata‚ who guided Egypt to three successive titles at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

SAFA chief executive Dennis Mumble, who confirmed that the association had been contacted by the coaches about the Bafana job, however said they had not spoken to any of them

“We have received all these CVs and we want to make it clear that they are all unsolicited and we have not spoken to anyone about the Bafana job‚” Mumble was quoted by SowetanLIVE as saying on Sunday.

SAFA president Danny Jordaan said former Bafana captains Lucas Radebe and Neil Tovey would be part of a committee to interview the managers who had applied for the national team job.

He said the association would only consider a coach who possesses the quality to help South Africa to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, CHAN and winning the Cosafa Cup.

Jordaan said a coach would be appointed before Bafana take on Guinea Bissau and Angola in friendly matches in March ahead of their Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria.

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